Improvement in hemm ing-guides for sewing-machines



BLAKE e JOHNSTON.

Sewing Machine Hemming Guide.

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' UNITED STATES PATENT DEEIOE.

s. E. BLAKE AND T. JOHNSTON, OE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,715, dated October11, 1859.

To all whom it 'may concern.-

Be it known that we, SOLOMON E. BLAKE and THoMAs JoHNsToN, both ofLouisville, Jefferson county, Kentucky, have invented a new and usefulHemming and Tucking Guide for Sewing-Machines; and we hereby declare thefollowing to be a full and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification Y.

The said invention relates to provisions for turning and folding hemsand tucks, and for holding them fla-t and to any uniform width.`

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a double-size perspective viewof an attachment embodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is 'a similar viewof it inverted. Fig. 3 is a vertical section at x x, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is adiagram illustrating the operation.

A represents the plate of a scwi11g-inacl1ine- B B is the guide-frame,consisting chiefly of a thin plate of spring-steel partially divided bya longitudinal gap or interval, I).

C is a stiff metallic plate of U form, called the gage, and providedwith asquare'ilange or shoulder, c. The gage Gis restricted torectilinear adjustment beneath the frame B B by a boss, D, on the bottomof the frame, occupying a dovetailed longitudinal slot,c,in the gage. Acentral aperture, d, in the boss D permits the insertion of aclampingscrew, E, which, fitting a screw-hole, a, in the plate A, servesthe twofold purpose of holding the guide to the plate and of clamping orfixing the gage to its point of adjustment. Each of the limbs B and x3constitutes aspring adapted to yield upward at its free end. An obliqueend, b, in the limb B causes its llexibility to be chiefly in an obliquedirection from the corner b outward' and forward with respect to thehem, so as to facilitate the insertion of the stuff and the passage ofcross-seams and other irregularities. The flexibility of the limb B istransverse to the hem. The free end of the limb B is surmounted by asupplementary spring, B, from which depends vertically a stud-shaft,f,forming the axis of a conical roller, F, fluted longitudinally andterminating below in a flange, f,

From the top of the limb B projects also a tongue, G, of spring-steel,having its free eX- tremity flattened and twisted in a right-hand spiralform. This tongue is for the iirst half of its length directed backward,and is thence reflexed, so that its extreme tip enters the space betweenthe flange f of the roller F and the flanged roller F facilitate theturning andY folding of hems containing cross-seams and materials ofvarious thicknesses. The limb B has beneath its free end a boss or pad,

H, having a chamfer, h, to facilitate the en! trance ofthe folded hem, abounding-shoul der, h, for the inner edge of said hem, and a notch, h,for the passage of the needle.

K is a roller occupying the central intervals, b and c, of the frame andof the gage, and' journaled at its respective ends in the pad H,

and in a yielding block, I, united by a spring,

J, to the frame B B. rlhe limb B is more rigid' than the spring J, so asto enable the pad H to tightly press the inner edge of the beam when thefeed is applied, and so as for the roller K to derive its rotationchieiiy from the advance of the inner edge of the hem, the outer end ofthe roller reacting upon the hem toward and at its outer edge, so as tokeep it flat and to itsl full width. The roller K, by its capacity foryielding bodily upward, or at either end, permits the easy and equalpassage of the hem, notwithstanding any inequality of thickness ortexture or irregularity of draft. To insure the efficiency of the rollerK in preserving a llathem or tuck of uniform breadth, we form on itssurface aseries of righthand spiral ribs indented with transverse nicksor grooves, substantially as represented.

L M are handles, by means of which the pad Hand the rollers Fand K maybe temporarily retracted for the purpose of inserting or removing thework.

For heavy work a customary pressure-pad, E, may be used to assist theaction of the pad H and roller K.

Operation: The guideis placed in position so that the thumb-screw Eoccupies thescrewhole a in the plate A of the sewing-machine, and sothat the notch h coincides with the path of the needle. The gage() isthen adjusted so as to bring its shoulder c to the required distancefrom the seam and the whole clamped fast by the screw E. The edge of thecloth is then folded ashort distance and drawn into the guide, and themachine being set in motion a very slight attention of theoperator'sufiices to continue the fold. A guide thus coustructed acts tohold the fold `flat and to cause it to advance uniformly and equallyWithout crimping or narrowing the hem, the yielding andspirally-iluted'roller K acting`to press the folded or outer edge of thehem forward and against the shoulder of the gage, and the yieldingconical roller F easing the inner edge of the fold at .that part of thescroll where it is subjected to the greatest pressure, and permittingthe passage of seams and other irregularities, as before explained. Forthese reasons the invention is especially applicable to seams of unusualWidth and of irregular thickness and texture.

The following is what We claim as never and of our invention herein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent:

JAMES H. Rien, GEO. E. HARDY.

